FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7933, 5 January 1906, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. PRESS COMMENTS. By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, January 4. A writer in the Sportsman in an account of the football match New Zealand v. Ireland sums up iu the following terms:—"lt was a really magnificent struggle, and the New Zealanders have fought and won the hardest game of their tour, for thongh Scotland came out of the ordeal better than Ireland on points they hardly gave their conquerors so hard a game. That the better team w.on goes without question, while Ireland, it may be candidly said, covered herself with the glory of defeat, for her representatives played grandly, and not a man in the fifteen earned the smallest share of blame. They played a3 fine a game as onuld have been wished, but they were simply outplayed. Columns of stuff might be written, but the whole match condenses itself into th'.s: The defeat of an inferior team by a superior one. Looking at the game tha casual observer would bo inclined to say that tho colonials were never 35 points ahead of Ireland, as the latter had at least three - louiths of the play. This they undoubtedly had, but the other fourth which fell to the share of the New Zenlauders was multiplied into five-fourths. Once an opening occurred New Zealand took it, and the first of these was that which resulted in Deans' first score —a marvellous piece of judgement and deceit. On the other hand Irelane? in the first half got opportunity after ooportumty principally by aid of hMr forwards —but these were utterly unless as she failed to profit by them, and all the] magnificent rashes and grand footwoik of her pack went fur nothing. And as the colonial backs simply eclipsed Ireland in the second half, all was over, and the Irish supporters were ciying inwardly for the finish. Not that Ireland did not prove just as staying as New Zealand and exhibit as much vim to the finish, but it was simply because of their being outclassed in finesse. Their experiment of taking Wallace "out of the scrum" and making him a partial winger, proved all right and to the wanderer's brilliant performancebelongs not a little of the credit due of the whole side. J3e played really magnificently, and never once made a mistake. Ted ford was a host in himself, and worked magnificently ail through, while perhaps of the others Allen deserves just a speoial word of praise. Caddell was probably the smallest half-back the colonials have met with, but he was by no means the least brilliants Be took his slogging like a lion, and never flinched. Robinson, too, was game till the end, despite his accident. But the pair were working under great difficulties, especially in the second half. The Irish three-quarter line, though not faultless, performed well, though many would put them down as the weak spot in the team. Certainly MacLear was the hero of the line, and did a lot of brilliant saving while he was often grand in attack. Parke, was, on the whole, poor, while Robb surprised by his clever display and cool-headednese. To Landers much praise is due. He played a magnificent game, his few trivial mistakes being of little moment. Praise for toe New Zealanders may be given iu globo, if this expression will be pardoned. The distinguishing feature of their marvellous exhibition was its cleanness and beautiful band work, while the manner in which they "got there" with the least expenditure of energy at once stamped them as the better team. Deans was the most magnificent of a wonderful lot of backs, while O'Sulhvan was marvellous as the head of a brilliant forward combination. NOTES. A letter appears in the Leeds and Yorkshire Mercury on "Alleged Colonial Roughness." It is signed "Flaneur" and runs ihus : "Some Scotchmen seem to have taken the defeat at Inverleith with rather bad praoe. I notice, in an article signed 'Anglo-Scot,' in one of the London papers, an insinuation that the New Zealanders developed some roughness and unfair tactics when they appeared to be beaten. This is not the first time a complaint has been made from a Scottish source of roughness on the part of the opposition in an international match au Inverleith, for only a year or two ago the Welsh team came under the lash. Well, the Scotsmen have never been regarded as parlour footballers, and the players themselves neither ask nor give quarter. They play a robust game, and their supporters must not cry out if vigour is met by vigour." Then, referring to the same match, the same writer notes:—"The New Zealandera bad given up the game as lost, and their record as gone, when Scotland had them penned in the corner on their liie with only a few minutes left for play. No wonder, therefore, they jumped for joy and hugged literally hugged Smith, each in turns, and then •ohaired' the flyer when he scored the winning try. The reaction would have a similar effect upon most sides, and the New Zealanders are at no time a plegmatic side. Much less are they too sated with success not to feel the joy which they showed." The Mail says that "when the third New Zealand try against Scotland was scored, tho colonial who was to take tho kick took an unusually long time to make a satisfactory hole in the ground for the kick at goal. After he had bored away with his heel for some considerable time, a gallant member of the H.L.1., losing all patience, roared oat: Hi, rememuer, that's the Union's field.' Still the New Zealander continued to dig deeper and deeper into the turf, when the soldier, still addressing the men from 'down under' added, pleasantly. 'Going home that way, boys.'" In view of the sensation caused by

the New Zealanders' war-cry and dance before the match at luverleith last Saturday, "Thistle," writes to the Edinburgh Despatch suggesting, "Would it not* be advisable that some similar performance be gone through by the Scottish team before the English match? One might 9Uggest the dancing of a sixtoeusouie by the team and touch judge (to make up tho number) to the tune of the pipes in front of the stand. The performance might net as a mascot to bring good luck. Of course, if this prelude to the match is to be thoroughly national in character, some might consider that the game should bo opened with prayer. But think of the difficulty of deciding which of the rival Moderators is to perform the'eeremony." "Pibroch" says that the s'peota tors wore eager, at Glasgow, to hear the "fnmons Maori war-cry previous to the game starting, but it appears that it is reserved by the 'All blacks' for international maicbes when they chant their deities because the fate of the nations is at stake. To make up for the loss of this novelty, it was furnished on the terracing of a band of New Zealand students resident in Auld Reekie, who with flags and bantiers flying, gave at intervals a chant something like a medley between ♦Lead, Kindly Light,' and the 'Coronach.'" It is remarked that out of courtesy to the Now Zealand football team it ought to be made known that they have in no way suggested that an allBritish team should be selected to play them. What they have done is to express in conversation their willingness to play such a match in the event of its being arranged. Thi'3 fact ought to be bonne iu mind, it is added, when allegations are mado that they been premature in ventilating the matter. "They have had no responsibility of this kind, and their general behaviour has been that of good Britons and true sportsmen."